A 16-year-old girl from Atpadi tehsil in Maharashtra’s Sangli district was found hanging at her home early Monday, with her father alleging she took her life after being raped and blackmailed by four men. The suspects, identified as local residents, were arrested on Tuesday, police confirmed, following a complaint filed under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act.

According to the father’s complaint, the girl revealed during dinner on Sunday that the four men, who had been harassing her, took her to a room above a private bank in Atpadi, where they allegedly sexually assaulted her and recorded the act.

The accused reportedly used the video to blackmail her, demanding sexual favors and threatening to make it viral. Devastated, the girl confided in her father, who promised to approach the police the next morning. Tragically, she was found dead hours later.

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The case, which mirrors a similar incident reported on X involving a 16-year-old’s suicide in Sangli due to alleged rape and video blackmail, has ignited public fury. The arrested suspects are in custody, and police are investigating the circumstances, including the authenticity of the alleged video and the sequence of events leading to the girl’s death. Further details are awaited as the probe continues.

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